I like the way you write my name
by ImperfectWonderland
Summary: His eyes were green in the way a Sprite bottle was but his personality was as appealing as the overpriced cake pops. Yet, May found herself falling for the mischievous barista. College/Coffee Shop AU


_A/N: it's been too long, kiddos. I've been working on this for months because i can't write to save my life. hope it doesn't suck because i've been desperately needing a fluffy and unnecessary CS coffee shop au since i came out of the womb._

 _enjoy these two dorks being lovesick losers_

* * *

Drew Hayden was a simple guy. A simple guy who worked the morning shift at the campus café before having to go to his afternoon lectures. It wasn't a bad job really; he liked the atmosphere and the people were mostly friendly (other than those who would come in and were too busy to take their eyes off of their tablets, instead snippily ordering their soy milk chai lattes—no whipped cream, easy ice—barely muttering out their name before waiting impatiently for their drink, grabbing it as soon as it came out and leaving without a thanks. Drew always laughed at them, purposely adding in a spoonful of sugar to _sweeten_ up their attitude.)

So, yeah, he didn't mind his job. He liked making the drinks and was charming enough to make small talk with the customers. And it was helping him pay for his college. How could he hate that?

However, there was a particular aspect of work he liked the most.

A week ago, a girl had walked into the café, a girl Drew didn't recognize. She looked quiet (later, he'd find out he was _very_ wrong), her eyes glancing around the small space before settling on the menu. Her fingers were constantly moving as she was deciding what she wanted—a tap against her jeans or the rubbing of her thumb against her index finger. They were never still.

Drew watched her for a moment longer before calling out to her. "I haven't seen you before, is this your first time here?"

The girl stared at him, squinting her eyes like she was thinking about something before responding. "Yeah. Sorry; I'm exhausted so I'm out of it today," she said, apologizing for her lack of responding. The laugh at the end of her sentence was light and sweet. Drew bit the inside of his cheek for a second.

"I'm guessing you'll want a few extra shots of espresso in your drink, right?" he asked.

She nodded, a small smile pulling at her lips. "That would be great."

After she picked out her drink and a pastry from the case next to the register, Drew picked up the black marker on the counter and stared at the girl expectantly.

"May," she murmured.

Drew nodded, a smirk pulling at his lips when he scrawled out a name she most definitely did not give him. "Your drink will be ready in a moment, May."

She stood there, absentmindedly browsing at all the coffees and teas they had displayed on the shelves, her hands running through her brown hair. The coffee shop was quaint and it wasn't too busy, but May could guess that was because she missed the morning rush, if the swarm of students with paper coffee cups speed walking around campus told her anything.

But she assumed the shop was well liked, the only reason she'd never been being that she'd never been _too_ big on caffeine. That is, until she stayed up until three in the morning writing stories about god _knows_ what. Who told her it was a good idea to major in creative writing?

And as the brunette was lost in her own thoughts, she was completely oblivious to the barista watching her with calculating jade eyes.

She was cute, he could easily admit that, and for some reason he had the immediate urge of wanting to know everything about her. Drew wanted to find out all her quirks and learn to know all the different expressions she could make and what would make her _make_ them.

Pouring her drink into a cup with ice, Drew asked himself if he just developed a crush on the random girl who walked into the tiny café. There was no way, right? Crushes happen over time; they don't happen just because a cute brunette walks into the coffee shop you work in.

"Your drink," he said suddenly, and May's eyes locked on his as she stepped forward to accept the cup filled with straight caffeine.

"Thanks," she murmured, flashing a smile at the barista as she turned around. But as she neared the door, her gaze landed on the name written on the cup.

In a neat handwriting, the name _November_ was printed in black ink. May immediately whirled around, her cheeks flushed and eyes narrowed. She was met with a smirking _grasshead_ who looked more than smug. With a huff, May turned around and left, bitterly sipping at her drink that she wished tasted more like piss than like heaven. At least then she'd have another reason to be mad at the jerk.

And as she stomped out, Drew found himself biting his lip because, _shit_ ,her blushing face really was cute.

Yeah, he was probably screwed.

* * *

May Maple was a simple girl. A simple girl who was a little on the clumsy side and sometimes had to remind herself that, no, binge watching the first two seasons of Gossip Girl every weekend was _not_ a good idea. But she was also known to have a fiery personality and was _very_ open to expressing her feelings.

Which was why May found herself pacing around her dorm room, ranting to her best friend about the annoying (yet cute) barista she had the _pleasure_ of meeting that morning.

"I don't know why it made me so mad but his expression—ugh, the look on that guy's face was the most arrogant look I have ever seen in all of my nineteen years here on this earth," May muttered bitterly.

"You're vociferating, May." Leaf looked up from her laptop, amusement clear in her eyes. While it wasn't unusual for her best friend to get passionate over certain topics, it wasn't often she talked so often about a guy, especially for so long. Leaf had been listening to this rant on and off the whole day.

"You and your smart people words," May said lowly. She finally stopped pacing and stood in the center of their dorm before groaning and walking to her bed, falling face first on the mattress.

Leaf quirked a brow, her eyes lit with amusement. "You okay?" May mumbled something in response but it was impossible to make out since her face was buried in pillows. "Repeat? In English, preferably."

May turned her face, a frown on her lips. "He was so cute."

A burst of laughter escaped Leaf's throat.

* * *

Drew told himself that he wasn't waiting for the blue-eyed goddess to walk through that door.

And May told herself she most certainly was _not_ going back to the café to see the cute (yet annoying) employee. At least, that's what she kept telling herself even as she stood in line, following his every move as he made drinks. Whose muscles _flex_ when they make a pumpkin spice latte?

Okay, and maybe Drew was doing it on purpose. He wasn't an idiot. He knew May was watching him. And even _he_ knew that he was trying to impress her. He just hoped it was working.

By the time she got up to the counter, both of the young adults had composed themselves enough so they seemed calm and collected, even though they were both experiencing the same clammy hands and racing hearts.

"You're back," Drew greeted, a smirk finding its way on his lips.

May mimicked his expression. "Of course I am. Who else are you going to be an asshole to if I don't show up?"

"That's a little judgmental, don't you think? You've only met me once."

"Once is enough to know."

"Isn't that a little arrogant of you? Assuming what others are like since _apparently_ you're so smart?"

"Touché." She couldn't fight the smile on her lips. Drew felt himself melt a little more when he noticed the smallest groove of a dimple on her left cheek. _Shit, shit, shit—_

"So what can I get for you?" He could feel his manager's eyes burning holes through his skull. As much as he wanted to continue talking to the brunette, he knew if he kept this up for much longer, he'd get a mouthful from the boss later.

May pressed her lips together, eyes scanning the menu before ordering what she got last time. It was good after all.

And as he was about to hand her the drink, May spoke up. "So, since you know my name, I think it's only fair that I get to ask you too. What's your name?"

"Andrew. I prefer Drew, but I'm sure any way you say it would sound just as good. Just not Andy. Please not Andy."

"Then don't call _me_ November," the brunette retorted, though she kept repeating his name in her head. Drew. It worked for him.

He laughed, writing down a different name. "No problem."

She only looked at her drink once she was about to exit the café.

 _January._

She heard Drew's laugh as she left.

* * *

Both May and Drew walked into their dorms later that night, shutting their doors and leaning their backs against them.

"Was it the cute guy again?"

"The gorgeous brunette?"

"Yeah," they both answered, teeth scraping against the flesh of their bottom lips.

They were both so, so screwed.

* * *

It took six times for May to visit the café before Drew finally grew a pair and asked her on a date. Somewhat.

He pulled one of the oldest tricks out of the book, actually: writing his number on her drink.

But he didn't do it in a douchebag way, at least. No winky-faces or some shit like that. It was just his number and he only hoped his sweaty hands didn't smudge the freshly written numbers as he handed May her drink.

"Let's see what name I get today," she said, a hint of amusement in her tone. But when her eyes shifted to the cup and all she saw was number, her breath caught in her throat and she looked up only to see Drew with the slightest blush on his cheeks.

"I'll talk to you later?"

She didn't have to think. "I'll call you later."

* * *

It only took four dates for Drew to ask May to be his girlfriend. (Four and a half if you count the one time May stopped by at the end of Drew's shift to have lunch with him on the bench outside the shop before his classes started.)

Coincidentally, it was the first time he kissed her—or, she kissed _him_. Don't get him wrong though, he was going to kiss her, she just beat him to it. At least, that's what he tells himself instead of admitting to the fact that his heart was in his throat and this was the most nervous he'd ever been in his life.

The two were leaning against Drew's car, saying goodnight to each other before May left to go back to her dorm.

"I had fun. Again," May said, a smile playing on her pink lips. "You've surprisingly been a good date."

"Surprisingly? I could say the same for you."

"Hey, you're the one that asked _me_ out."

"And _you're_ the one who said yes."

"I'm still deciding if it was worth it."

Drew rolled his eyes, bumping shoulders with the brunette. She bumped him back before they fell into a comfortable silence.

The night breeze was warm against Drew's skin but nothing compared to the fire he felt when May's fingertip would brush against the sensitive skin of his wrist. She did this multiple times before trailing her fingers to his palm. She grabbed his hand in hers and played with his digits, feeling the calluses yet also knowing how gentle he was. It made her heart flutter in a sickening way. Swallowing the thick lump in her throat, May laced her fingers through his and finally looking up to meet his eyes.

"I like you so much." The statement was sudden and Drew's voice had cracked but his eyes, while holding a small amount of fear and doubt, were determined. "And I want to be the one who you call at three a.m. when you can't sleep or when you've had a shit day and all you can do is complain. I want to be the one you can come to for anything, no matter what it is, good or bad."

"Yeah." Unable to clear the fog from her mind, it was the only thing that May could think of to say.

"Yeah?"

Lips seemed to speak for her because the next thing she knew, her hands were cupping Drew's jaw and her lips were on his. Heat exploded under her skin and her knees felt like they were going to buckle when she felt him gripping at her hips but at the same time she thought she'd be okay if the sun decided to burn out or the ground under her feet gave out because a beautiful galaxy appeared behind her closed eyes and Drew gave that to her.

When they pulled away, she laughed breathlessly, pressing her face into his shoulder. Her cheeks were burning but in the most pleasant way possible.

"I like you _so_ much," Drew repeated into her hair. All May could do was nod, fingers tightening in the fabric of his jacket. "Can I take this as a 'yes' for being your boyfriend?"

A muffled laugh against his shoulder was all he needed but the quiet, "Of course" made it even better.

* * *

They still constantly got on each other's nerves (because, really, how could they not?) and the only thing that was different was the kisses and late nights spent cuddling and talking about the _real_ questions like if Ouran would _ever_ get the second season it deserved?

And now instead of getting a wrong name scrawled on her coffee cup every morning, Drew surprised her with something new every day. Whether it was a reminder to write that god forsaken report ("Really, May, you've had this assignment for a month, just get it done."), a stupid doodle, or an _I love you_ , May looked forward to her daily visit. And a lot of the time, she'd laugh because the impertinent barista had captured her heart.

But it was the random moments throughout the day where Drew would card his fingers through her hair or stick his hands in the front pocket of her sweatshirt because he "forgot" his gloves that made her realize she was completely okay with being entirely in love with him.

* * *

 _if you look closely you can see my suffering in between the lines as I struggled to write this. no, no, i'm joking i actually had a lot of fun writing again. it was hard but it felt really good. hopefully i'll be hearing the tapping of keys a lot more often than i have been. but hey guys good news, i'm going to college! it's crazy i started this stuff in seventh grade and here i am about to graduate high school. crazy stuff._

 _love u guys so much. see you later!_

 _-imperfectwonderland_

 _p.s. ouran deserved better. there was so much plot and character development that will never be animated. these are the world issues that keep me up at night._


End file.
